Paddington Bear is calling on big-hearted residents of St Albans to lend a paw for Action Medical Research.

The childrens charity Action is on the hunt for new volunteers to get involved and help to make a big difference to the lives of sick babies and children.

With Paddington at the helm, the charity has a legion of volunteers who assist in a variety of ways from helping out at its popular cycling and walking events to donating goods for raffles and jumble sales.

"Volunteers are a crucial and highly valued part of our team and we are enormously grateful for the loyal and dedicated support of all those who lend us a hand.

"Thank you, we couldn’t do it without you!" says Lucy Hynes, Action’s community fundraising manager for the region.

"We’d love to find more volunteers in Hatfield and St Albans who are willing to give up their time, even if it’s just for five minutes.

"We’re especially keen to hear from new groups in the area, whether it’s a group of friends willing to hold regular events in aid of Action Medical Research or a team of colleagues undertaking a series of fundraising challenges."

Everyone who volunteers for Action receives top-quality training as well as the chance to work with a friendly team. Those who sign up will be joining people like Laura Baillie, a regular volunteer at our events.

"I discovered the wonderful work of Action Medical Research whilst looking for a challenging yet rewarding charity bike ride to partake in.

"Being born 10 weeks early, weighing a tiny 2lbs and spending the first few weeks of my life in an incubator, Action quickly became a charity close to my heart as it funds crucial research to help save the tiny lives of others born prematurely, along with other incredible projects," says Laura.

Action Medical Research has been funding medical breakthroughs since it began in 1952, starting with the development of the first polio vaccines in the UK.

Since then the charity has spent more than £110 million and has contributed to medical breakthroughs for children, some of which are now commonplace: the vaccine for rubella, the use of ultrasound scanning in pregnancy and taking folic acid before and during pregnancy to prevent spina bifida.

The charity is currently funding work around conditions including prematurity, stillbirth, epilepsy, meningitis, cerebral palsy, brain cancer and some rare and distressing conditions.

For more information, visit: www.action.org.uk/volunteering